Cooking top for gas stoves



June 5, 1934. J LEONARD 1,961,976

COOKING TOP FOR GAS STOVES Filed Oct. 20. 1931 8 l4 /2 /7 a a IN V EN TOR.

Jose 0h .46 pro ATTORNEY.

Patented June 5, 1934 rsnr Fries COOKING TOP FOR GAS STOVES Joseph E. Leonard, Berkeley, Calif., assignor to Hammer-Bray Company, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of California Application October 20, 1931, Serial No. 569,904

3 Claims.

The invention relates to cooking tops for gas stoves and particularly for stoves in which the top gas burners utilize for fuel a gaseous compound such as propane.

In certain localities, where mains for supplying cooking gas are not available, it has been found quite convenient to utilize for gas stoves an individual reservoir of propane or other petroleum gas for separate dwellings. As the cost of using the gas in the latter instance is greater than in the case where the gas mains are available, in order to secure the utmost heating efficiency out of the propane gas advantage is taken of the fact that the supply pressure of the gas in the individual tanks may be much more easily made uniform and therefore the inlet orifice to the burners may be adjusted to a much more finer degree than is practical with the use of gas from a common main subjectto varying loads. .By reason of such increased control of the pressure, it is possible to place the burners in such proximity to the cooking top that the hot spot of the flame will invariably be disposed directly at the top and thus the inefiiciency in heating brought about by requiring the burners to be set low enough to keep the hot spot no higher than the cooking top on variation in the supply pressure of the gas, is avoided. However, with the burners thus-set in close proximity to the top, it is imperative that the products of combustion from the top gas burner chamber be permitted unrestrained outlet. Where the cooking top is of the open or grid type, no appreciable restriction of the outflow of the products is encountered, but where, as in the newer styles of gas stoves the top is of the solid or closed type, considerable impairment of the flow will result unless some provision is made to permit the necessary free discharge. Some attempts have been made in connection with such latter types of tops to eliminate the objection, but such attempts have in general been ineffective or involved a cooking top or lid design of extremely ungainly appearance. It has therefore been the object of my invention to provide a cooking top which affords in connection with the use of propane or like gas practically all the advantages of the solid or closed top, both as to operation and appearance, as used in stoves burning ordinary gas, and at the same time allows for the full and efficient discharge of all the products of combustion from the burner chamber under the top.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a cooking top made in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, of a portion of the top with a lid operatively positioned thereon.

As illustrated in the drawing, the cooking top of my invention is designed for use with a gas stove 3 and comprises a top plate 4 arranged for positioning over the compartment 6 in which is disposed one or more top gas burners 7. In the design here shown, the plate is arranged for use with four burners, that is two at the front and two at the rear. The portions of the plate over each burner are form d with openings 8 which are arranged to be engaged by removable covers or lids 9. Preferably provided in each opening is a grid 12, and in the present instance the grid is formed as an integral part of the top plate and comprisesa series of radial arms 13 extending inwardly from the sides of the opening.

The plate at the portions surrounding the openings is formed with depressions 14 having side walls 16 which. preferably diverge from the sides of the opening whereby the diameter of the depression at the top surface of the plate is greater than the diameter of the opening proper. The lids in the present embodiment of the invention are arranged to be supported in the depressions 14 with the side edges of the lids in spaced relation from the side walls 16 and with the top surface of the lids in coplanar relation with the corresponding surface of the cooking plate. Support of the lids in this manner in the depression is effected through means of the grid arms 13 on which the lids are arranged to seat, said arms on the portion arranged to be engaged by the lid being depressed to define a seat 17 whereby the lid may be retained over the opening in the operative position and relation aforesaid. As will be clear from Figure 2, the diameter of the lid while smaller than the diameter of the depression across the top of the plate, is preferably appreciably larger than the diameter of the opening so that when the lid is operatively, that is centrally, disposed over the depression the opening will be practically concealed.

It will now be clear that with the lid supported over the depression in spaced relation from the sides and bottom thereof, the products of combustion generated by the burning of the gas in the associated burner, and to a degree in any of the other burners, will find a ready and ample outlet from the burner compartment through the annular space around the lid, and at the same time the diverging sides of the depression will cooperate with the bottom of the lid to guide the products in a smooth stream outwardly as well as upwardly so that the area directly over the lid will be comparatively free of the discharging products.

As will be clear from Figure 2, the top surface of the portion of the grid arms between the lid seat and sides of the depressions is made flush with the upper surface of the plate, and in this manner a vessel may be moved from the lid to the plate or from the latter to the former with as much facility as where the lid and plate are in abutting relation.

To insure the ready outlet of the products at all times, the lid is preferably made of such diameter that no ordinary vessel will, when positioned thereon, completely cover the annular outlet area therearound, and furthermore the adjacent portions of adjoining depressions may, as shown in Figure 1, be cut away or otherwise formed to place the depressions in communication.

It is thus evident that the lid, grid, and plate cooperate to provide for petroleum gas burning stoves both from the standpoint of appearance and utility almost the full equivalent of the closed or solid cooking top as used with ordinary gas.

I claim:

1. In a gas stove, a solid cooking plate defining the top of a gas-burner chamber, and provided with a depression having an opening in the bottom thereof directly over the burner in the chamber, a grid in said depression, and a cover lid of greater width than said opening supported on said grid in spaced overlapped relation to the sides and bottom of the depression and with the top surface of the lid coplanar with the top surface of the plate and defining by reason of said over-lapped relation a passage angularly disposed to the vertical ascent of the products of combustion from said chamber to thereby deflect the upward passage of said products.

2. In a gas stove, a solid cooking plate defining the top of a gas burner chamber and provided with a depression having downwardly converging side walls and an opening in the bottom, a grid in said depression formed integral with the plate and having the top surface thereof parallel with the top surface of the plate, and a lid of greater width than said opening supported on said grid in spaced relation to the sides and bottom of the depression and with its upper surface coplanar with top surfaces aforesaid.

3. In a gas stove, a solid cooking top defining the top of a gas-burner chamber and provided with a depression having an opening in the bottom thereof directly over the burner in the chamber, a grid in said depression, and a cover lid of greater width than said opening supported on said grid in spaced overlapped relation to the sides and bottom of the depression and forming with the sides of said opening an annular passage angularly disposed to the vertical ascent of the products of combustion from said chamber to thereby deflect the upward passage of said products.

JOSEPH E. LEONARD. 

